Why I read young adult books
By Jessica on April 10th, 2012
Anyone who has met me or read a blog post or two by me knows that I am a
pretty voracious reader. It is both a joy and an occupational hazard. When I came across The Power of Young Adult Fiction in the New York Times’ Room for Debate section, I couldn’t help but read it. It then made me ask myself: Why do I read YA?
I’ll admit it. Aside from some notable exceptions (Harry Potter!), before I began working for Scholastic, I mainly read adult books as an adult. Even then it was a lot of assigned reading and research, first in history and then librarianship. And then I started working at admittedly the coolest job I’ve ever had.
At first I started reading YA because I found myself surrounded by these books which I could check out and an hour long train commute each way. I told myself that it was part of my job. It is helpful to know what I was getting in all of those boxes, after all. That is how I started reading YA books as an adult. Thinking about it now, that isn’t why I keep reading YA books.
I read YA books for the same reason anyone reads any book: Because they are good. Think about it. Books today have to be good. There is so much competition for your time and attention with all of the entertainment options available to you that a book must hook you pretty much from the first word. That is true for any book but it must be doubly true for YA books because of their intended audience. A YA book must have multidimensional characters, an engaging plot, and that certain something that just makes you want to turn the page to find out what happens next.
Knowing that I wasn’t the only one to devour YA books by choice, I asked other OOMers why they were lovers of teen literature. I loved their answers so much that I couldn’t resist sharing them with you.
Morgan: The short answer is, I don’t really know. But the long answer is, the people I know who read and write YA all come from different teenage experiences: student council presidents, loners, athletes, misfits, artists, geeks. And yet we all find something in teen lit that speaks to us — something universal about the experience of simply being a teen, and surviving those years. And I find that really special.
Megan: I read YA because of the compelling, satisfying plot lines, and the great character development. And also, honestly, I love that I can read them quickly (they fill a bus ride or lazy afternoon). Not that I don’t love undertaking a serious read, but it’s nice to know I can read them in a snap and still take away a great story.
Michael: I’m actually not only an advocate of reading YA but also other kids books. As I have said before, reading is a social experience and the shared experience of reading a book can help you connect with kids. Trends and bestsellers in YA tend to change more often so reading YA is particularly important to stay current.
So that is some of the reasons that we read YA literature. Now we really want to hear from you! Why do you read YA literature? Tell us in the comments!
Posted: April 10th, 2012 under Books, More News. Tags: books, YA.
9 comments
Comments
I read YA because I love remembering what it was like to be a teen again. Those inebriating feelings of falling in ‘love’, the pain of betrayal by your friends…those feelings and thoughts remind me what it is to be human and true to myself. As an adult, I’ve already fallen in love for the rest of my life so to experience it over and over again with these characters is monumental. As far as the pain…it reminds me about the situations and times that made me the person I am today. I read YA to be true to myself and to never forget.
Comment on April 10, 2012 at 4:07 pm
I read YA before I even knew it was a genre in itself. I labelled them as “normal” books, and everything else was either non-fiction, or classic literature (… or picture books). YA is about as real as you can get within the pages of a book. I connect more with Margo from Paper Towns than I do with Emma from Pride and Prejudice. Maybe it’s the language. Maybe it’s the emotion. But I do know that one reason I’m hooked to YA is because every book is real.
Comment on April 10, 2012 at 4:11 pm
I agree 100% with Jessica. I used to call it “market research” when I started working here, but now it’s just fun to read them. I also think I really like reading books with teen protagonists. They’re much more relate-able for me than some 60-year-old curmudgeon.
Comment on April 10, 2012 at 5:26 pm
I volunteer as a Big Sister for a 12 year old. Last time we were out together, we had many poignant conversations inspired by The Hunger Games. We discussed everything from the power of a totalitarian government to how it is possible to love different people in different ways (she was Team Peeta, while I was Team Gayle).
The book was a great bridge to discuss BIG issues with somebody who is still trying to figure out how to be an adult. It placed us on an even playing field, where we were both relating to the same material through the lens of our different experiences.
Comment on April 10, 2012 at 6:00 pm
I read Kid and young adult books because I find them better written and not as much ugly language used in them. I’m dismayed at how today people use ugly words for all situations and don’t realize how rich a language we have. I find it very angry when I prefer peace.
Comment on April 10, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Great article! It inspired me to write my own on my blog: http://bookgirl52.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-i-read-young-adult-books.html
Comment on April 11, 2012 at 8:46 pm
I find that Young Adult books, are much more interesting than most adult books. I have two small children at home and often times do not have energy or patience for the hard core books. I also love the ideals that are portrayed through these books. On a side note: I also do work here and there in a high school library so it definitely helps to have read most of the books. Favorite book hmmm thats a tough one but I did enjoy the Morganville Vamp Series.
Comment on April 14, 2012 at 11:57 pm
My main goal in reading Young Adult books has been to preview them for my precocious reader. She has consumed so much of the age appropriate books that are there and I am trying to stay ahead of her so I can guide her choices. By reading the books, I also makes sure that even she wants to read something with fantasy or violence (such as the Hunger Games trilogy) then we can discuss the heavy topics and make sure she is prepared. It also allows me to draw in some of the historical references that she might not otherwise note (like the connections to the Roman Empire in H.G.). I must say that in exploring series for her, I have found many enjoyable reads for myself as well.
Comment on April 16, 2012 at 7:03 pm
I know this is an old post, but I thought I’d add my two cents.
I started reading YA literature when I taught a course at my university on Young Adult Literature. The class was primarily for teachers, and since I didn’t read YA lit as a young adult, I had a lot of catching up to do. In a very short time, I read hundreds of books and discovered many of them were amazing. So, as others have said, it started from research.
However, I quickly discovered that contemporary YA literature is not what it was in my day. Much of it is good; some of it is excellent; often it is challenging and blatantly honest.
I’m selective in the YA books I read, but I love the ones that are edgy, take risks, and don’t sidestep or candy-coat life. They tell a good, honest story.
Comment on April 28, 2013 at 3:38 pm
